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"It wasn't an easy win, the start was crucial and obviously I got a good getaway," he said after the win – his third in a row going back to last season.

"After my stop it was crucial to get past Jenson, which I could do immediately, so that was very, very important. There were a lot of things to learn today and we need to have another look at the race.

"It's the first time I've finished in the Australian Grand Prix so I'm really happy. With Lewis dropping off later in the race, there was no pressure, so I was able to control it."

Assessing the season ahead, Vettel added: "It's a long season, so we have to keep on doing what we are doing now, enjoying, but working hard."

ALthough the 23 year-old could not have enjoyed a better start to the season, he stopped short of predicting that the season will be a procession: "I don't really like the word dominant at this stage, to be honest, because there is a long, long way to go.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner revealed after the race his team did not use KERS – the system introduced to give drivers a supposedly critical boost of speed – all weekend due to technical issues, further underlining the ease of Vettel's victory.